The Paraguayan National Health Surveillance Agency (Dinavisa) has suspended five restaurants after confirming four cases of botulism.

Four cases of botulism have been confirmed and five restaurants are closed

Paraguay's "Latest Moment" newspaper reported on the 2nd that Jorge Iliou, director of Dinavisa, detailed the diet of four patients diagnosed with botulism.

The first case was a 51-year-old male who consumed a handmade burger and a slice of ground beef pie; The second case was a 50-year-old woman who consumed sausage served with eggplant; A third case, a 30-year-old male, consumed a sandwich of minced meat and a lamb pie. The first and third cases had something in common because both had consumed ground meat.

The fourth case of poisoning, a patient who had eaten honey and canned beef (vaka'i), is unrelated to the restaurant currently suspected.

Three confirmed patients were admitted to the Institute of Social Security (IPS) hospital, while another patient was being treated at the Santa Julia Hospital.

In addition, a patient with suspected botulism died on June 3. The patient began to develop symptoms on May 19 and was admitted to IPS Central Hospital on May 24.

Iliu noted that symptoms of botulism can appear within 14 days or even a month after eating. The first confirmed patient developed symptoms three days after eating botulism-containing food, the second two days later, and the third 14 days later.

The series of poisoning cases began on May 5 and remained until June 1, when the results of the health investigation were made public with an official announcement by the Ministry of Public Health.

As part of its emergency measures, Dinavisa suspended the operations of five restaurants to find out which ones were providing food that caused botulism. However, the markets where the restaurants had participated were still operating normally.

Botulinum poisoning is rare but serious, and packaging disinfection is important

Iliu explained that while botulism is rare, once it occurs, the consequences are extremely serious. The bacterium is found in soil and can multiply when food is not properly prepared or kept in poor hygiene, especially in canned foods, cooking oils, certain seasonings and other non-preservatives. In this condition, the spores of botulism produce a potent neurotoxin. The toxin is neuroactive and can cause nerve damage, which is why the condition is so serious.

As toxicologist Dante Zacarias Michelagnoli explains, bacteria thrive in anoxic conditions in inadequately sterilized containers. This bacterium has a strong tolerance for temperature and humidity. One of the main triggers of poisoning is the irregular packaging of home-made foods.

Zakarias cautioned that packaging of unheated or fully disinfected food should be stopped, which is likely to cause botulism to multiply. If you see the packaging expanding, it means that a lot of gas is being produced inside, which is very dangerous.

Zakarias stressed that people should seek medical attention immediately if they develop suspicious symptoms. Botulism can cause nausea, vomiting, intestinal pain and diarrhea. When there is muscle weakness, a lowered eyelid or difficulty speaking, it indicates that the situation is very worrying. The earlier the treatment, the greater the chance of a patient making a full recovery.